


Red Lily

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Romance, War of the Ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2002-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 06:48:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4212047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Seeds of Danger

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

A lily is a proud flower, a duchess of the garden. She stands straight-  
backed, wrapped in her thick leaves, clad in colours gloriously bright. A  
lily knows nothing of the girlish frippery of roses, the simple sunshine of  
daisies, the slender fragility of bluebells. A lily is a lily with all her  
heart.

So was Lily Maggot, the farmer's youngest daughter. She was proud of the  
fact that where ever she went, she turned the heads of young hobbits. She  
was not pretty like her eldest sister Rose, not golden-haired like the  
middle sister Daisy, not delicate like Bluebell, her sister-in-law. She had  
large bones that made her figure broad and her face full of angles. But she  
walked in an enticing way, and she wore red. Red is not a traditional  
hobbit colour, and Lily had made many experiments with dyes before managing  
to colour her best dress red as blood. Her mother shook her head in  
dissaproval, her brothers taunted her, her sisters gossiped about her and  
her father never mentioned the matter, which was worst. And yet Lily Maggot  
wore her red dress in every possible occasion, stunning many a young heart.

A maggot is an inhabitant of the earth, a digger of roots, a companion of  
death. So were the Maggots. They were a respectable family, but farmers  
nonetheless. They knew the fields and lived close to the ground, despite  
the fact that they dwelt in a house, not in a traditional hobbit-hole. Yet  
of such simple folk there were strange rumours about: whispers that old  
Farmer Maggot sometimes went to the Old Forest, and stayed there even  
overnight. And came back. He always came back.

There was one moment that Lily would afterwards remember as the starting  
point of all the big troubles. One meeting that brought the shadow upon her  
life. The day was like any other day, and Lily was feeding the hens, when  
she heard the hooves on the road. Galloping hooves, nearing, nearing fast.  
She ran to the gate and peered over.

And saw a black rider on a black horse. Coming closer. From the road that  
led nowhere but the fields.

'Who is he?', she thought while running to find her father. 'The sound of  
the hooves is like Death himself riding wild, bringing pestilence over our  
fertile land. I do not want to see this rider any closer. But I will watch  
nonetheless, because I must know. Not knowing in matters like this just  
makes things all the more scary.' She ran around the yard only to find him  
inside the house, and told him about the stranger, panting like one of  
father's dogs.

Then they heard the steps of the horse. Lily had left the gate open and the  
man had ridden almost right to the doorstep!

Trembling herself, Lily lifted her head to face the stranger. This turned  
out to be impossible, since the man's face was hidden by a hooded robe.  
Instantly the maiden imagined all kinds of horrors watching her from the  
shadow of that black garment.

She lowered her head, but remained beside her father, listening.

Farmer Maggot stepped out and greeted the stranger. He told him the road  
went nowhere, in his special tone of voice held in store for unwanted  
visitors and mushroom-thieving children. From behind her Lily heard one of  
the dogs step out, howl and run away. She dared not turn to look which one  
it was.

'I come from over there'. Lily did not look up to see which way the man  
pointed: she knew already he must have ridden over their fields.

'Have you seen Bagginss?' There was a noticeable hiss in the voice.

Lily heard her father tell him that the Bagginses lived west to Hobbiton  
and that this was not the road to get there. What the dark stranger replied  
made Lily shudder.

'The Baggins has left. He is coming. He is not far. I want to meet him. If  
he goes this way, will you tell me? I will come back and bring gold.'

'No you won't', said Maggot, threating to set the dogs on him.

The stranger hissed, and rode his horse almost over poor Maggot, who  
stepped aside just in time. Lily screamed. Her father called the dogs, but  
the man was out the gate and on his way to the highway. And the dogs did  
not come.

'Why did you tell him, father?'

'Tell him what?'

'Where the Bagginses live!'

'Why not?'

'Because he looked nasty! The dog feared him!'

'You are making hasty conclusions, Lily. The dog was just surprised about  
the horse, they've never seen one before.'

'But what if he hurts the Bagginses? It's your fault then, for telling  
him.'

'What would you have done, daughter?'

'Sent him to Bree!'

'And when he'd find no Bagginses in Bree, wouldn't he come back and hurt us  
for telling lies? If he's so bad, I mean.'

'But... but... father, I was so scared of him.'

'I was a bit scared too. Thank goodness he is not our trouble anymore.'

'He's the Bagginses' trouble. And nobody deserves that kind of guests, even  
in the West Farthing.'

'My darling Lily, you just can't worry all the world's worries. Sadness  
doesn't become you.'

Lily wanted to say a lot more. She wanted to say she was unbecoming with a  
smile, too. She wanted to say the man had been in such a hurry he would not  
bother to come back for such a petty thing as revenge, had he been given  
wrong directions. She wanted to say this rider was no ordinary man. But  
before she could arrange her thoughts the dogs ran to the gate, barking  
furiously. Was the rider back?

But the visitors turned out to be three hobbits. Lily made her way behind  
the rosebush, where she could listen without being seen. She did not want  
to be seen by strangers the way she was: her second-best skirt was dusty,  
and her hair was a mess after she had run around looking for her father.

Peering between rose-branches, Lily heard her father recognize the shortest  
of the hobbits as one other than Peregrin Took, son of the Thain. Lily  
instantly decided she would wear the red dress for supper - oh please, let  
them stay for supper! A round-featured lad glaring suspiciously around  
himself was named Sam Gamgee, a name Lily had never heard before. But the  
third one's name she had heard, for he was Frodo Baggins.

Soon Farmer Maggot was telling them about the stranger. Lily peered between  
rose-branches and saw that Mr Baggins seemed alarmed. He also seemed to be  
in a hurry.

Nonetheless he accepted Farmer Maggot's invitation for beer and  
conversation.

After they had gone inside, Lily slipped indoors too and made for her  
room. She took of the dirty skirt, washed her face, put on the famous red  
dress, brushed her hair hastily and decorated it with a red ribbon. Feeling  
she had done all she could, Lily Maggot entered the kitchen. At the one end  
of it her father was busy telling the visitors about the year's crops -  
crops of all things, while there were black men on black horses to discuss!  
The look on Peregrin Took's face told Lily he felt the same way. At the  
stove Mrs Maggot was busy preparing the supper with Bluebell. Lily offered  
her help.

'No way in those clothes, girl!' was her mother's reply. What a stupid  
miscalculation, Lily scolded herself, leaving the room.

Time went on slowly as Lily sat in the garden. She ought to have been doing  
something useful, having changed her clothes. But she wouldn't miss the  
visitors' departure for anything, nor would she change out her pretty  
dress. To her surprise, the sunset found her seated on the bench by the  
door, the visitors still inside. The members of the family were coming in  
for supper. The guests would have supper too! A blazing joy filled Lily's  
heart as she entered the house. She was soon busy kindling candles and  
setting the table.

When Lily sat down, she did not take her ordinary place beside her mother,  
but sat right next to Peregrin Took. She saw her sisters exchange a knowing  
look, but took no notice. The heir of the Thain gave many a compliment to  
the golden ale her brother Tommy brewed. Lily noticed how very young he  
looked, and how innocent. His friends called him Pippin, which was a funny  
name, but Lily would sooner die than laugh at him.

Then Lily saw an opportunity. Pippin Took was well down his third pint of  
ale, and becoming rather merry. Nobody was looking at them. Lily leaned  
closer and whispered a few chosen words in his ear. These were the words:

'I have something to tell you. About the rider that was here. The black  
man. I felt he was no ordinary man. The dogs felt it, too. Be careful.  
Please.'

Nothing disgraceful there. Nothing personal ecxept the 'please' - oh, let  
him notice the tone! - and yet the youth reacted as if he had heard a  
direct proposal. His eyes widened, he gulped so hard he almost suffocated  
with whatever he was eating, and started coughing. When he had cleared his  
throat, his face was red all over. Lily turned red too, when she saw that  
everyone in their end of the table was looking at her, except Frodo  
Baggins, who winked at Pippin.

The guests left after supper, Farmer Maggot driving them in his cart to the  
ferry. It would be a long time before Lily saw them again.


	2. The Scent of Nectar Attracts Bees and Wasps Alike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

Lang thought himself a born leader. Tall and lean, he was no warrior, but a  
thinker, he liked to tell himself. It was a pity his talents were seldom  
appreciated. Sharkey sure did not think much of him, sending him on these  
northern trips, and now ordering him to stay here altogether. Or maybe he  
did. It was hard to know with Sharkey. Every deed of his had a thousand  
facets.

Right now he was astride a fat pony, his long legs brushing the ground, on  
a mission of purchasing fields for the Little Master. Responsibility, of a  
sort. For the actual dealing was not done by Lang, but by the round-bellied  
old hobbit following him on a pony of his own. Oswald Sackville, attorney,  
representative of Lotho Sackville-Baggins. But Lang, he was representing  
Sharkey, seeing to it that the fields would be none but the best. Let the  
Little Master waste his money. They would be needing the best of grain.

Spring was not the best possible season for field-dealing. Some farmers  
were already plowing their fields, and would be reclutant to let the work  
benefit others. In the wet weather, all fields looked the same, at least to  
Lang's eye. To his eye, all hobbits also looked the same.

'Why all your people are so cranky, Oswald?'

'You should address me as Mr Sackville, Lang.'

'You should address me as Mr Lang, Oswald. Answer the question.'

'They don't like the sight of you, human. I'd make better prices by  
myself.'

'They don't seem to enjoy the sight of your bald head very much either. Nor  
the sound of your Chief's name.' Lang found the Little Master's title  
amusing, and used it as often as he could and as unrespectfully as he could  
also.

Suddenly they noticed a spot of red color ahead. Coming closer, they saw it  
was a hobbit maiden, carrying a basketful of spring flowers. Her wide hips  
were swinging with her walk. Her hair was a fountain of brown curls, tied  
with a red ribbon. Her dress was red and cut to flatter her figure. She  
turned around as they reached her, and the smile on her face dissappeared  
at the sight of Lang.

'Tell me, little blossom, who owns these fair fields?'

'My father does', the girl replied with pride, 'his name is Maggot.'

'Are you on your way home?'

'As a matter of fact I am.'

'We have matters to discuss with your father. We shall accompany you.'

And Lang stepped down to walk beside the girl. Sackville remained atop his  
pony.

'What is your name, little red g'reshu?'

'Lily. What is a g'reshu?'

'Never mind. I am Lang. How much a night?'

'What?'

'I'm not stupid. I know what red means. You must be very popular.'

'And what if I am?'

'Spend a night with me, Red Lily.'

The hobbit maiden gave the man one horrified look, and ran, flowers falling  
behind her from the basket.

'What did you say to her, human?' Mr Sackville looked puzzled; he hadn't  
been listening.

'None of your business.'

Farmer Maggot was not willing to sell land. Actually, he set the dogs upon  
the dealers, for insulting his daughter. Lang retreated humiliated. They  
bought a neighbour's field, and Lang swore to return.


	3. Withering at Full Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

To Lily's dismay, the outrageous human returned with hobbit workers to  
plough and sow the neighbouring field. He did no work himself, but spent  
his time ordering the workers about by yelling nasty curses at them.

Nonetheless, Lily did not abandon the red dress. After all, her father had  
explained with pitchfork in hand what it did not mean. To give up dressing  
the way she wanted would be admitting the human's victory. Whenever Lily  
walked past alone, the man whistled. Lily ignored him, holding her head  
high.

As summer arrived, things got worse all around the Shire. Lotho Sackville-  
Baggins had gained possession of more than what was good for him: mills and  
shops, fields and smithies, inns and homes. He held such a monopoly that he  
could buy things cheap and sell them dear, and poor people had no choice  
but to pay his prices. More often than not there was nothing to buy, even  
for the rich. Somehow he bribed or forced all the officials to his side:  
the shiriffs, the mail-carriers, the borderguards. More and more humans  
came to the Shire, working for Lotho, silencing oppression with their  
threats, building ugly big houses, felling trees. Lotho had appointed  
himself 'Chief' of all the Shire. He now issued all kinds of mindless laws,  
restricting the liberties of moving around, trading goods, or even using  
the post. Soon almost everything needed a permission.

The summer was wonderful: the weather mild, animals fat, the fields doing  
well. But on the inner skies of the minds of the shire-folk, a terrible  
storm was gathering. Everyone had the feeling they would not be the ones  
enjoying the fruits of their labour.

Lily somehow associated all this with the dark rider. Mr Baggins had been  
escaping something, and not long after, his relative Lotho had started  
dictatoring around. Lily's imagination spun the story like this: The rider  
had been Death, and Lotho Sackville-Baggins had summoned him to find his  
relative Frodo, whom he hated. Lotho had dark and mysterious powers, and he  
could make the humans obey him. But Frodo Baggins must also be quite  
powerful, for he knew elves and dwarves and wizards. And maybe, just maybe,  
Death had not caught him. And one day he would come back and free the  
Shire. And Peregrin Took would come, too. And Lily would be waiting, clad  
in red.


	4. The Cutting of the Stem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

The time of harvest came, and with it came the Gatherers. They took all  
they could get "for common good", that is, for themselves. Lang was one of  
the head Gatherers of East Farthing, and soon he was upon the Maggot  
family. Needless to say, he had little pity for them. His underlings took  
all the mushrooms, all the ale, most of the apples, and a great deal of  
grain and vegetables.

One day Lily went to the woods with her sister-in-law Bluebell, Tommy's  
wife. They were going to pick raspberries. Having started at the same bush,  
they soon got separated. Lily was a fast worker, and took no notice of  
things around her. Suddenly someone clasped an enormous hand over her  
mouth. Then it was replaced by a filthy rag and the attacker faced Lily,  
holding her by the shoulders. It was Lang.

In a flash Lily remembered every time she had seen the man: how he had  
behaved, how he had insulted her. She imagined how Lang saw her, and knew  
her life was worth nothing to the human.

'Well, well! What have we here. The g'reshu Red Lily.' He grinned wickedly.  
Lily shuddered. In a way the grin and the look in his slanted eyes were  
worse than anything that happened after. The expression had all that in it,  
and Lily's wild imagination was already burning in a thousand pains before  
the man had managed to open his belt.

He tore off her skirt and whistled in a surprised tone, examining her.

'An untouched g'reshu? They didn't want you? Were you too big for their  
tastes?'

Lily glared at him angrily, showing no fear, for she felt none, only anger.  
Anger and hatred, both at the man and at herself for being too weak to  
defend herself.

'You know, I haven't had a woman for over a year.'

Lang entered her three times. Lily was soon covered in sweat. She kicked  
like an animal, and was treated like one. The pain was terrible, but not  
more so than she had imagined. She had a good imagination. When Lang was  
done, he lifted up a stone and hit Lily on the head.

Maybe he meant to kill her, maybe not. Anyway, Lily Maggot had a thick  
skull. Bluebell found her lying in a shameful position, bleeding at both  
ends. She dressed her and fetched the men to carry her home. Lily  
recovered, but she did not want to speak of what had happened. She feared  
her father would attempt a revenge, and after that, the family would be in  
even bigger trouble. She never saw Lang again, except in nightmares. These  
were frequent. In them she lived the pain and humiliation again and again,  
with new aspects each time, hearing voices accusing her. She would never  
tell anyone and she took an oath from Bluebell to keep silent, too.

It was only a nightmare. It hadn't happened. Lily told herself, over and  
over again, it hadn't happened.


	5. Strong Roots in the Earth of Shire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

One day a pony-riding messenger came by the road, and not on an errand of  
the Chief.

'To battle!' he shouted, 'they are driving the humans away! West Farthing  
is free, and North almost too! Some of the scum have gone hiding into your  
woods, Master Maggot!'

Instantly Farmer Maggot ordered all the younger hobbit-men to search the  
woods, armed with hunting-bows and sharp poles, Maggot's sons leading the  
dogs. Soon they were joined by the folk of other farms, who had followed in  
the wake of the messenger.

Maggot himself remained on his farm, and asked the messenger to stay too.

'You've had a hard ride, I'll wager, my boy, and I don't think you would  
object to a glass of juice or milk - we are sorely out of ale, I'm afraid.  
I'll see to your pony, and Lily - come out from behind the roses, girl! -  
can serve you.

Timidly Lily led the young hobbit into the house and bade him sit on a  
bench. Then she fetched a glass of apple juice, which the boy emptied in  
one go.

'Would you like more?'

'Thank you and no thank you, miss.'

'You can call me Lily.'

'I'm Alf. Alfons Took.'

'Have you been to battle, Alf?'

'Yes I have, Master Peregrin came to Tookborough all by himself and then we  
broke through the human's blockade and rode to Bywater, where we aided  
Master Meriadoc and the others in destroying the human's main force. I  
killed only one human, I think.'

Lily thought about Peregrin Took, younger and shorter than she herself, as  
a commander of war. His eyes had not been a killer's eyes. But maybe he had  
more in him than was visible on the outside. He was a Took, after all. A  
Took, like Alf here, sitting on the bench next to her... her thoughts  
wandered, and she looked straight into Alf's eyes. Which were large, and  
brown, and eager, and looking back at her in a way that made Lily blush.  
She lowered her eyes, noting in passing how very golden his hair was.

'What are you thinking, Lily?'

'Everything will turn good again, won't it? No more Chief, no more humans,  
no more mindless rules.' There was pleading in her voice.

'Yes', Alf whispered, and lifted his hand to wipe away the tears that were  
streaming from Lily's eyes.

IIt was just this moment that Farmer Maggot returned from the stable. He  
saw the two youngsters sitting close to each other, the boy's hand  
caressing the girl's cheek.

He knew of Lily's reputation as a heart-breaker, and did not approve of it.  
He had tolerated it in the past, and had recently hoped the girl would have  
outgrown these childish games. Right now, however, things were a bit too  
tense for her to start playing with the feelings of others. She ought to  
know better than start fluttering her eyelashes at the young war-hero. All  
the same, Maggot did not direct his anger at his daughter. There would be  
time for family matters later on.

'You rascal! Leave my Lily alone!' he bellowed.

To his surprise, the youth stood up and looked him squarely in the eye.

'Leave her alone? Wouldn't that be a terrible fate for such a nice and  
handsome maiden as she? To be left all alone! No, with your permission, of  
course, I intend to become her friend and visit her as often as I can. But  
now I really must be going to see if there are any humans left for me to  
hunt.' With that, he bowed, and walked out the door, to the road and into  
the forest.

'Lily, Lily, Lily. What on earth were you thinking?' Her mother shook her  
head in reproach. Outside, the first stars gave their twinkling light.

'I didn't do anything!'

'No? What did you say, then?'

'We talked about the battles.'

'Oh. Of course. The heroic battles. War in the Shire and all my daughter  
can think about is how handsome the young fighters look.'

'Were you never young, mother?'

'Of course I was, but I was never shallow.'

'I'm not shallow!'

'Hush, my child. The hunters are coming back.'

'Oh, mother, is my red dress clean?'

The man-hunt had been a success: the hobbits had captured five humans and  
sent some guards to take them to the southern border of the Shire. Alfons  
Took had taken his pony and led these guards. Many of the tired hunters  
were offered a simple but nourishing meal at the Maggots' table. Lily's  
dissapointment faded when one of her brothers started playing his fiddle  
and their neighbour's son wanted to dance with her. The celebration lasted  
well into the night, despite the absence of ale. Music and dancing had been  
on the list of forbidden things, too.


	6. Petals on the Path of Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

A score of days passed, full of work done with pleasure: they looted the  
houses of the humans and got back a substantial amount of their groceries,  
even the ale.

Then came the day when things had revolved a full circle: with visitors the  
story had begun, with visitors it ended, or at least reached a peak. There  
came a small group of young hobbits, led by two unbelievably tall youths on  
strong ponies. The riders looked strong too, and noble. As if ordained by  
fate, Lily was at the gate to greet them, and in her red dress, too.

'Good afternoon, sirs! Who may you be and what brings you here?' She  
curtsied.

'Don't you know me, Lily?'

She gasped, for she recognised his voice - and his smiling eyes. Little  
Pippin was little no longer, and looked much older than his years. And what  
he was wearing: chain-mail and a black overtunic with a white tree, sword  
on his belt and a helmet on his head.

'You remember me then, Peregrin Took? I knew you would come back.'

'Even though I had the Shadow at my heels when we last met?'

Lily found no answer, and turned to look at the other large hobbit. He was  
as tall as Pippin and more heavily built. He also wore the gear of a fairy-  
tale knight, but his overtunic was green and embroidered with a white  
horse.

'May I ask who is your companion here? He looks foreign, but so do you.'

'You have a short memory, Water-Lily.'

But Lily remembered the nickname. She had received it when she was twenty,  
and a boy had rowed her up and down the Brandywine in a little boat. She  
had been a different girl, not so proud, not so vain. Later, the boy had  
not cared to compete for her attention with others. The boy's name had been  
-

'Merry Brandybuck!'

'Who else? How have you fared in these troubled times, you and your  
family?'

A shadow erased Lily's smile.

'Come in, the lot of you. Father will be glad to see you.'

'That's what we're here for. To see your father', said Pippin.

'And to give him thanks for helping us a year ago', said Merry.

Many an astounding story was told that evening around the dinner-table of  
the Maggot family. Lily was sure the stories were true, because they seemed  
altogether too wonderful to be anyones invention. A ring and a king, elves  
and dwarves, armies and battles filled her head and overflowed in question  
after question. The rest of the family would have preferred to hear more of  
the recent events in the Shire, but as it was, they still learned a great  
deal.

As the young heroes started preparing to leave for Crickhollow, just like  
on that night so long ago, Lily followed them to the yard. There she took  
Pippin aside and asked him a question that had been burning in her heart.

'Among the humans you've seen, was there a tall one with grey clothes, a  
ponytail of black hair, and a red scarf on his head?'

Pippin thought for a moment.

'Yes, I remember seeing such a one.'

'What happend to him?'

'He got killed at Bywater.'

'Who killed him?'

'My cousin Alf, I think.'

'Alf! Alfons Took?'

'Do you know him?'

'He was here some days ago.'

'Why did you ask about the human?'

'He was evil.'

'Weren't they all?'

'More or less.'

That night sleep escaped Lily. She thought first about Pippin, how much he  
had changed for the better. He would be a great Thain one day. There was no  
mistaking the way he looked at Lily: there was a promise in his eyes of fun  
to be shared. He had learned the game.

Then Lily's thoughts turned to Alf. The youth had used mild words in front  
of her father: nice, handsome, friend. But the fire in his eyes had  
contradicted them, offering more. And he was the one who had killed Lang.

The image of Lang rose unbidden in Lily's mind. She shuddered under the  
sheets.

To drive the nightmare away, she summoned another image. A golden  
afternoon, willows weeping by the river, birds singing ever so softly, a  
white boat gliding close to the shore. A boy and a girl, the girl in a  
green dress, the boy clad in brown. Her hair so very thick, so very fuzzy,  
her features like carved of wood. But the boy looks at her as if she were  
beautiful. He rows slowly, and as he leans towards her, he suddenly stops  
the movement there, to look into her eyes.

'I love your eyes, Water-Lily, your eyes the most. They are greener than  
the willow-leaves, greener than the reeds, greener than anything.'

'Oh, Merry!' The girl places a soft kiss on his forehead.

And the birds sing, and the sun shines, and the afternoon is so very long.  
A pearl in a cord of golden afternoons. But now the necklace is broken, and  
all the pearls are lost.

For there had been a silent reproach in Merry's eyes at their meeting. You  
have a short memory, Water-Lily. You have forgotten how to be yourself. You  
have become a doll. You dress in red because nobody else does. You have  
become proud. You do not care about the feelings of others. And now you are  
going to break Pippin's heart. For you are not the woman he thinks you are.  
Merry had not spoken such words, but the feelings were easy to read in his  
eyes. In this way, he was like father.

What shall you do, Lily my girl?


	7. Blossom's Bud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

What shall you do, Lily my girl?

No blood, my baby, two months, no blood.

What shall you do?

What will your mother say?

Soon it will show.

No blood, my baby, two months, no blood.

You should have told them.

Two months, no blood.

Lily's thoughts went round and round the problem, as her hands flew on the  
loom.

'For goodness' sake, Lily, look at what you're doing. You're messing the  
pattern!'

'I'm sorry, mother.'

'What's the matter with you? All the week you've been breaking dishes,  
stepping on the dogs' tails, putting sugar into soup and salt on  
strawberries. It's about some boy or other, isn't it?'

Lily sulked.

'Answer me, girl!'

'It's no boy, mother. It's worse.'

Here goes, Lily thought, double or nothing.

'And would you tell your mother what is worse than a boy?'

'It's not my fault!'

'What isn't?'

'I'm with child, mother.'

For a moment, Mrs Maggot was speechless.

'And that isn't your fault?'

'He forced me!'

Instantly, her mother's expression changed. She was still angry, but not at  
her poor violated child.

'Who did this to you? Who would do such a dirty thing? This is the Shire,  
good heavens, not some barbarian wilderness.'

'Lang did, mother. The human. The overseer.'

'Oh, my child! A human! Do you understand what it means?'

'What?'

'Your life is in danger. Human children are big, too big. I've heard a  
story from Bree, a sad one.'

'Oh, mother, what shall I do?'

'We can do nothing but hope for the best. You have large hips, after all.'

Poor Lily's stomach grew quickly, and there was no stopping the rumours.  
Lily did not want to proclaim the father's identity, but she had to, when  
Alfons Took got into trouble for visiting her. After that, the gossiping  
old women spoke in tones of pity, and gossiped all the more.

The story reached Crickhollow, where Merry and Pippin were sharing the joys  
of bachelor life in the little house Frodo once had bought 'for himself'.  
They arranged parties and rode around the Shire on real horses, visiting  
friends. It was from some friend or other that they happened to hear the  
news about Maggot's youngest daughter.

Once back at home, they discussed the matter over second breakfast.

'The girl cannot be blamed. No-one would expect that kind of thing to  
happen in the Shire', Merry stated.

'If someone other than Lang is to be blamed, I am.'

'You, Pippin?'

'Remember how Elrond wanted to send me back to the Shire. We would have  
been prepared, the humans couldn't have ordered us about like that.'

'I'm glad you didn't turn back. We needed you right where you were.'

'Waking monsters in Moria, getting captured by orcs, looking into a  
Palantir? Some use I was.'

'How many times I have to go this through, you thick-headed Took? You just  
want to hear your achievements all over again. You saved us from the orcs,  
helped agitate the ents, rescued Faramir and killed an Olog-Hai. Not bad  
for such a whelp as you.'

Pippin grinned. Then his expression turned unusually serious.

'I've been meaning to ask you. You and Lily?' He pointed at Merry with the  
butter-knife. Merry sighed.

'A long time ago. We had just started our tweens. We played at being in  
love, or loved being at play. She was different then. I wonder what  
happened to her.'

'Kids sometimes change a lot in their tweens.'

'Listen to you! Barely out of yours, and talking like an old gaffer.'

'So you are not interested in her anymore?'

'No. And I gather you are?'

'Uh-huh.' Pippin smiled a foolish smile.

'Be careful. Did you hear about that first rumour?'

'What?'

'The one saying the baby was Alf's.'

'Oh, that one. But it isn't true.'

'Haven't you thought there might be some truth to it nonetheless? The  
rumour got started because Alf was visiting Lily. You have a rival, Pippin  
my boy.'

'Oh dear. That's why she was so exited.'

'When?'

'When I told her that Alf killed Lang.'

'There's Lily Maggot for you. Shallow as a puddle.'

'No she isn't!'

'Please yourself.'

'Anyway, I had better pay her a visit. Shall you accompany me? For the sake  
of the look of things.'

'I'll come.'


	8. Dried Leaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

'Lily!' Her mother's call echoed in the hall. Lily laid aside her knitting.  
She had been working on a small sweater, the size to fit a three-year-old  
hobbit toddler. She imagined that it would fit her newborn baby. Slowly she  
stood up and made her way to the hall of the house. Her pregnancy did not  
really make moving all that difficult yet, but the knowledge of it did. Two  
whole months she had denied the facts, imagining she was just gaining  
weight. Gaining weight when the Gatherers took all the food! How silly of  
her. She did not really know what to think of the new life inside her. Two  
souls in one body, she felt more alone than ever before.

'You have visitors, Lily.' Her gaze turned from her mother to the two tall  
youths at the door. Lily imagined what she must look in their eyes: her  
hair unwashed, her skirt tight over her belly. She hadn't fitted in the red  
dress for weeks.

Merry and Pippin greeted her courteously.

'I brought you some gifts', said Pippin. He gave her a bag of sweets, a box  
of cookies, and a bouquet of red lilies.

'Where did you find lilies? It's almost winter!' Lily exclaimed.

'They are dried flowers. My aunt can make them very lifelike.'

Lily examined the flowers. They vere papery to the touch and gave only the  
faintest of scents. Nonetheless they were beautiful. Lily could not help  
comparing them to herself.

What was she but a lifeless memory of something she once had been?

Lily led her guests into the great room of the house. Her mother brought  
ale for the youths and tea for Lily. Then she left them. Some members of  
the family were busy with their crafts around the room, but the room was  
big, so they would not hear the conversation.

Most of the talk was done by Pippin, while Lily gave short answers to the  
questions.

Was her family treating her well? Yes.

Did she feel all right? Almost.

Was there anything she needed, anything at all?

A husband, Lily thought, but she didn't say it aloud.

'Nothing', she said instead.

The conversation was polite, avoiding the big questions like:

Whom did Lily Maggot love?

And how long would Lily Maggot live?

Suddenly Merry broke their excange of pleasantries. Lily had wondered why  
he had come; Alfons Took had no need for a chaperon, so why did Pippin?

'Say what you came to say, you big oaf, and then let us be going', Merry  
told Pippin, obviously feigning boredom.

Lily gave them both a questioning glance.

'Meriadoc Brandybuck is my witness here, as I ask you, Lily Maggot: will  
you marry me?' Pippin stood up, looking very serious and faintly nervous.

Lily's lips started to form a positive reply, then halted. First time in  
over a year she had doubts about wether she truly wanted to become Mrs  
Peregrin Took. Pippin noticed her silence and started trembling slightly.  
Lily could not face his pain and found herself looking at Merry instead.

'It's not so difficult, Lily. Just tell him if you love him.'

In his eyes Lily saw another message: she felt her own deeds reflected back  
at her. She had adored Pippin for his father's high position, and later,  
his heroic reputation. She had also kept Alfons' heart in store, just in  
case she would need him. Love? Lily Maggot had not known love for a long  
time.

'I'm sorry, Pippin. I don't love you. I loved the heir of the thain.'

Pippin's mouth dropped open:

'But I am... oh, I see.' And the coldness in his eyes showed that he did.

Pippin said a hasty goodbye and went for his horse. Merry lingered a moment  
longer, gazing straight into Lily's eyes.

'You have backbone after all, Water-Lily, for it was a brave thing to do.'

'I need backbone to bear my burden, now all the more.'


	9. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

The Yule that began the year 1420 was a happy one indeed, twice so for the  
shadows that had clung to the peoples hearts a year ago. Food was plenty,  
and song, and dancing. Gifts were given, joyous greetings exchanged, and  
also sweet kisses under boughs of mistletoe.

There was a bunch of the pearl-berried plant hanging from the beam of the  
great room at the Maggots' house, too. Lily often stopped to look at it  
with dewy eyes. No more visitors for Lily Maggot, and the worst of it was  
that it was by her own choice. She had told Alf she could only give him  
friendship, but that friendship had not been of the lasting ones. In weeks  
the had grown tired of each other. Lily did not want to charm anyone ever  
again. She doubted she could, what with the child coming. And after it was  
born, if she lived, she would be a mother with a mother's duties. Alf and  
Pippin had been rare exeptions, willing to become father to a half-human  
child.

However, Lily did have a Yule visitor, on the second day of the feast. The  
horse walked effortlessly through the blanket of snow that would have  
halted most of the stubborn ponies of the Shire. The tall rider was wrapped  
in a cloack grey as frost.

Farmer Maggot came in from the cold weather.

'The young master is tending to his horse.' His eyes asked: what was it  
about his misfortunate, strange-looking Lily that kept them coming like  
bees for honey?

Their eyes met, hers full of questions, his full of secrets.

'Why have you come?'

'I could't stay away any longer.'

He pointed at the ceiling. Lily glimpsed the mistletoe, then his lips were  
on hers. He tasted of snow, and pipe-weed.

'When the snow melts, the birds sing, and flowers rise from the ground,  
will you come boating at the Brandywine?'

'I will', said Lily. Then she added, with mischief in her eyes:

'Merry Yule.'


	10. The Gardener's Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hobbit maiden, Lily Maggot, has many suitors. One we know... But her fate is not a happy one, or should we say, a merry one? Or maybe it is? Alert: rape, non-graphic. Yes, things like that happen in countries occupied by hostile forces, as the Shire was.

A golden afternoon, willows weeping by the river, birds singing ever so  
softly, a white boat gliding close to the shore. A youth and a maiden, the  
maiden in a green dress, the youth clad in brown. Her hair so very thick,  
so very fuzzy, her features like carved of wood, her stomach unnaturally  
large. But the youth looks at her as if she were beautiful. He rows slowly,  
and as he leans towards her, he suddenly stops the movement there, to look  
into her eyes.

'I love your eyes, Water-Lily, your eyes the most. They are green as the  
pastures of Rohan.'

'Oh, Merry!' The maiden places a soft kiss on his lips.

And the birds sing, and the sun shines, and the afternoon is so very long.  
A pearl the size of a mistletoe berry in a twofold cord of golden  
afternoons.

They knew now that they loved each other, and knowing it, everything fit  
into place. They had supposed Pippin would feel betrayed, but all he did  
was speak loving words of a girl she had met. She was young still, twenty-  
five, so Pippin would have to wait. He would wait together with Merry, for  
Lily was not ready for marriage either. The wounds left by Lang would take  
time to heal, and Lily wanted to face the birthing first. Merry kept  
reassuring her he would love her no matter what the baby looked like, no  
matter if she could bear no more children. But they both knew that was not  
what kept Lily from becoming Merry's wife just yet. It was her own love she  
wanted to be sure of, not Merry's.

The time of birthing came in the wonderful summer of 1420. Lily was in pain  
for a night and a day, lying in her bed, her sisters taking turns in  
watching over her, ready to wake the midwife Mrs. Bolger slumbering in a  
chair. Finally the child was born, healthy and large. The pain, however,  
did not leave the weakened body of the mother. She called for Merry, and  
reluctantly the midwife sent for him.

Merry had been staying at the Maggots' farm for a while, waiting for this  
day. He was sitting on the bench in front of the house, smoking nervously,  
when the midwife's daughter came to tell him:

"The baby is born. A fine, healthy girl. Lily wants to see you.'

Merry ran through the house, halting only to knock at Lily's door. Mrs  
Bolger opened it, whispering:

"Don't upset her. She is tired, poor thing.'

Lily lay in bed, eyes closed, shivering under the blankets, pale and  
wasted.

"Oh, Lily.' Merry kissed her cheek.

Slowly the green eyes opened, and Lily managed a smile.

"Have you seen my daughter?'

Lily's sister, Daisy, brought the baby to them. The child had the golden  
hair characteristic to many of the hobbit children born that year, a touch  
of Galadriel's blessing, perhaps. Her eyes also were golden, and slanted  
like tiny almonds. She was half larger than a hobbit newborn.

'What shall I name her?' Lily asked Merry when he held the baby, ' I can't  
think of a flower that would resemble her. I love her, deeper than  
feelings, and I want to give her a good name despite her blood.'

'How about giving her a good name because of her blood? Humans can be noble  
too, and brave, and bright like a sword's edge. How about naming her  
Eowyn?'

'That is a good name. Are you sure you don't want to save it for your own  
daughter?'

'She will be my daughter.'

Lily smiled. Then she suddenly started trembling violently.

"What is it? Are you all right?' Merry was worried. He put the child on the  
bed next to Lily.

"No. The bleeding didn't stop. Merry, I am afraid.'

"Can nothing be done?' Merry demanded of the midwife.

"Nothing, sir.' Mrs. Bolger had tears in her eyes.

"Lily, don't leave me!'

"You must promise me one thing.'

"I will do anything you ask. But please don't leave me.'

"Take care of Eowyn.'

"She is my daughter.'

"I think she needs a mother, too.'

"You are her mother. No-one else.'

Lily was turning paler all the time. The blankets smelled of blood.

"I will be gone soon. You will find someone.'

"Don't ask this of me.'

"Follow your heart. Keep my love in your memory. And raise Eowyn among the  
living.'

Crying, Merry kissed her. Then he covered her with the blankets, and laid  
the baby in her arms.

He watched her and images swarmed in his mind: Lily singing a lullaby,  
teaching Eowyn to walk, running after the child, mending her clothes,  
baking birthday-cakes, himself on a walk with his family, alone at night  
with his wife, days passing, the child growing, their love growing too. In  
moments a lifetime passed in front of his eyes, a life he would never live.  
For Lily's cheeks had lost all colour and her body was turning cold. The  
baby cried under the weight of stiffened arms. Slowly Merry reached out and  
took his daughter in his lap.

"Cry for your mother, Eowyn Brandybuck. Cry and remember her.'

Eowyn Brandybuck remembered, for her father often shared his memories of  
her mother. Eowyn felt she was different from the other children of Brandy  
Hall. She was large for her age and somewhat clumsy. She was also stubborn,  
brave and easily angered, so the others soon learned not to tease her. When  
she was six years old, her father took a new wife. Estella Bolger, an  
unattractive, shy, kind-hearted woman, the daughter of a midwife. The love  
of the couple was a shared loneliness and a friendly attraction. Eowyn  
called Estella "mommy', but when she spoke of "mother' she always meant  
Lily. Estella's son, Eomer, became the heir of Meriadoc the Magnificent.

At a grave in the Brandybuck family graveyard, stood a stone carved with no  
name, for it could not bear the name of Brandybuck. In an another way it  
was marked: lilies grew there and always would, lilies red as life, lilies  
white as death, lilies green-leaved.


End file.
